Bananas
Great tasting and healthy, bananas are one of the world's favourite fruits. But do you know how they get from farms thousands of kilometers away to arrive - perfectly ripe - in your local supermarket? Join us on a voyage of discovery
Did you know
Monkeys peel their bananas from the other end!
Did you know
You can polish your shoes with the inside of a banana skin (might smell a bit though ...)

Great tasting and healthy, most of us love bananas. So, does it matter how we get them? Of course it does! Just take a few moments to explore their incredible journey from farm to store and let’s see if we can surprise you.
The Banana Journey
Every choice we make in getting our bananas from the farm to you has potential consequences – for the communities who grow them, for the quality of the fruit and ultimately for the wider environment. We know you get that. It’s why we think everyone should care about where their bananas have come from.
You probably know that bananas are grown in sunny, tropical areas and most of ours come from Central and South America where they have been growing fabulous bananas for decades. The banana story – from growing the best bananas in a sustainable way, then harvesting, shipping and ripening them to meet the specific needs of the people who eat them and the retailers who sell them – is pretty amazing. So, strap yourself in and here goes…

How to grow the best bananas?
Well, it’s not on trees – because bananas are actually giant herbs! But it is about patience, care, a dash of passion and GREAT PEOPLE. Quite simply, the best growers and growing communities produce the best bananas and we’ve spent over 100 years finding and working alongside the best of them.
With the right care and attention, it takes a year for the baby plant from the nursery to grow into 3-6 metre-high banana plant. Then the magic happens. The plant blossoms and bananas appear. They start as tiny straight, thin fingers, but as they grow they fill out and turn upwards, seeking the sun (for those who want to know… this is called "phototropism"). They curve around the bananas above them and voila, they take on their distinctive smiley shape! From blossom to harvest takes about 3 months. As the bananas appear a special plastic cover is wrapped around the fruit to protect it from the wind and insects. Done properly, this creates a perfect micro-climate to help the fruit grow and stay healthy – the result, better quality bananas!

How are bananas harvested?
Bananas are harvested when they are green. Each plant produces a single large bunch or stem carrying 100 -200 bananas. It is only harvested when it’s ready. Expert ‘cutters’ select the fruit according to maturity, quality (called ‘grade’) and the thickness of the fingers.. Each large bunch is lowered gently onto the padded shoulder of a porter who carries it a short distance to a cableway. Banana production is still a people business – machines might damage the delicate fruit. A foam cushion is inserted between the ‘hands’ to protect the fruit and prevent it from getting marked during its journey to the pack house on the overhead cableway – a sort of ski lift for bananas!
This process is a race against time because the bananas start to ripen as soon as they are cut from the plant. They are immediately sorted, washed and packed (all by hand) into protective boxes or trays, ready for the voyage to Europe. Only bananas that meet Fyffes specifications receive our symbol of quality - the Fyffes blue label - applied by hand to each cluster. (Don’t worry, all the bananas are used, but not all of them get our blue label).

How do bananas get to Europe?
In total comfort – we treat our bananas like a baby! We use ships with state of the art containers that keep the fruit in a form of hibernation at a constant temperature of 13.5°C; just cool enough to slow down the ripening process but not so cold that the bananas catch a chill. In this controlled atmosphere the bananas will remain in perfect condition. The journey takes about 14 days.

How are bananas ripened?
By experts. On arrival the green bananas are sent to our special ripening centres where Fyffes banana boffins check the fruit and decide how best to ripen it – every batch is different. Lots of companies do this, but only Fyffes has been doing it for over 100 years. The bananas are placed in ripening chambers and each chamber creates its own temperature controlled atmosphere with conditions tailored to suit the particular characteristics of the fruit, its origin and the date it is needed in the store - all under the watchful eyes of the Head Ripener and his expert team. Over 4-6 days the starches within the banana begin to change into natural sugars and the firm, green fruit ripens to a soft, creamy yellow. For the best results it can’t be rushed – only when they’re done will they leave our care and go to your local stores! Fyffes can even vary the ripeness of the bananas as they leave us – green to yellow – to help retailers and shoppers find the colour they love for eating now or to ripen at home for eating later. And that’s the best bit – when you and your family eat and enjoy them. Mmmmm…
Our banana varieties
What colour is yours - yellow, green, red or ……. black?
Be honest. We bet some of you probably thought that all bananas were pretty much the same? Oh no they’re not! There are more than 500 (some say 800) different varieties of banana – in all sorts of shapes, sizes and even colours! At Fyffes we’re really into bananas, but even we think that’s amazing. Just imagine all the new tastes, flavours and textures that hundreds of different varieties offer? It’s simply mouth-wateringly incredible.
Here at Fyffes we’d love you to discover more of these great new taste experiences for yourselves. But, you need to be patient. Sadly we don’t have a ‘banana factory’ that makes them to order, we have to grow them. It can take years to build up a consistent supply that meets our standards. We need to work with our partner famers to make the changes on their farms and we wouldn’t do this lightly – its people’s livelihoods. But, our dream is to have as many banana varieties in your local stores as there are apples…..
Bananas can be broadly divided into 2 groups, the 'fruit' (or sweet) banana and the ‘vegetable’ banana.

Fruit Bananas
The most common banana is the Cavendish - the one we all know and love to eat fresh or in smoothies, yogurts and cakes. When yellow with green tips, it has a lovely, balanced sweetness and texture. When very ripe (and very sweet) the yellow skin will be dotted with brown spots – this is the natural sugars bursting out!
But there are many other varieties too.
Curious to see what other varieties look and taste like? Click here

Vegetable Bananas
The plantain is not actually from the same family as the fruit banana. Often called the "potato of the tropics’ plantains are thicker, firmer and starchier than regular bananas and although they are technically a fruit, plantains are usually cooked like a vegetable.
Very versatile, they are eaten at every stage of ripeness:
- Green plantains are starchy, firm to the touch, and perfect for making chips or soup,
- Yellow plantains with dark spots have firmer flesh, but are sweeter and used in savoury dishes
- Plantains are sweetest when they are black, when they are perfect for desserts.
Whether green, yellow or black, plantains are a tasty alternative to potatoes, rice and pasta. In many African and Latin American countries they are a staple food.
And they make fabulous chips too!

Why are bananas good for us?
We know we’re biased, but we like to think of bananas as a super food. Bananas are natural, healthy, packed with fibre, vitamins and minerals, good for hydration (they’re 70% water), and they’re a great source of slow release energy to fuel you through the day. At around 90 kcals per 100g they are a perfect snack for those watching the calories and they even help your body produce serotonin - which can help you feel happy, calm and relaxed. So, there’s a banana for every occasion!
Did you know?
Bananas grow on trees, right?
In fact, the banana plant or Musa Sapientum ("fruit of the wise men") is the largest plant in the world without a wooden trunk! It is a perennial herb in the same family as lillies, orchids and palms and the stem is actually made up of leaves wrapped around one another. There are more than 500 varieties, some growing to more than 9 meters high.
- The variety we see most often in Europe is the Cavendish
- The banana is curved because it bends itself around the banana above it as it grows upwards towards the sun.
- The word banana comes from the Arabic word "Banan" which means finger
- Bananas taste best when harvested green and allowed to ripen off the plant
- Bananas are grown all year round and are harvested every day of the year
- The banana flower is holy for some Indian people and it is often worn on the head as a lucky charm during religious ceremonies.
Did you know?
Bananas grow on trees, right?
In fact, the banana plant or Musa Sapientum ("fruit of the wise men") is the largest plant in the world without a wooden trunk! It is a perennial herb in the same family as lillies, orchids and palms and the stem is actually made up of leaves wrapped around one another. There are more than 500 varieties, some growing to more than 9 meters high.
- The variety we see most often in Europe is the Cavendish
- The banana is curved because it bends itself around the banana above it as it grows upwards towards the sun.
- The word banana comes from the Arabic word "Banan" which means finger
- Bananas taste best when harvested green and allowed to ripen off the plant
- Bananas are grown all year round and are harvested every day of the year
- The banana flower is holy for some Indian people and it is often worn on the head as a lucky charm during religious ceremonies.